Built-up shoe



March 26, 194@ J, BURGER BUILT-UP snob."

Filed March e, 1959 mmhIIIbMHIHIHh/h Patented Mar. r26, 1940 y Thislinvention relates to improvementsin shoes for men and women and consists ofa novel'addition and arrangement embodiedin the construction of shoes of regular or conventional types to beworn by normal feet, the principal purposeof f which is to have the wearer. of these shoes appear taller. i l

Devices of this character as'hitherto utilized in conventional types of shoes consisted essentially of a readily insertable and removable insert commonly referred to as an elevator which is placed within each shoe and which isso constructed as to elevate the heel and arch of` the foot and to support the same above the normal inner sole surface of the shoes.` Such devices have rnot proved. satisfactory in use as no means Were provided ln their construction to prevent shifting of the same within the shoe as they were not made to extend past the toes of the foot, they caused numerous foot disorders due to the unnatural distribution of weight between the heel, ball and toes of the foot, further cramping the foot within the shoe and also resulting in forcing the shoe out of shape thus permanently distorting the same. 'Ihese devices furthermore after a short interval of use become in themselves distorted due to the action of perspiration thereon as well as by the movement and pressure of the foot causing their shifting action.

The object of this invention is to obviate the above mentioned as well as other known disadvantages by providing an elevator device which is made across standard sized lasts with a high shank elevation for use with conventional shoes worn by normal feet thatwill give an apparent increase yin height to the wearer and yet afford perfect comfort in a, well fitting shoe, the elevator being so designed as to completely cover the entire inner sole surface of the shoe, and to be readily insertable and removable from the shoe.

A further object of this invention relates to the provision of a fore pocket part constructed as an integral part of the shoe the purpose of which is AA practical embodiment or the invention isn` lustrated in the accompanying drawing, where in- Y Figure 1 is averticallongitudinal sectional View through a shoe showing the application of the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 2-1-2 of Figure l.

Figure` 3 is a vertical` transverse sectional view through the front part of the shoe taken on line 33, Figure l'. i

Figure 4 is a` verticali transverse sectional view through the heel part` of the'shoe taken* onf line lil-1, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, Ill denotes! a confventi'onalf form of shoe-made inthe manner well known and comprising an outer sole II, heel I2,

counter I3, box-toe Ill, inner sole I5 and welt I9.` Inasmuch as the shoe proper constitutes no part of the invention a detailed description thereof and the manner of makinglthe same is deemed under and stitched as at 22 to the innersole of the shoeto define with relation to the inner sole I5 a pocket of substantially tapering width from the open edge 23 thereof toits closed end 24 adjacent the box toe I4. The length of the forepocket part I9 is such as to extend for `substantially the full length of the sole engaging portion of the shoe as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Overlapping the free edge portion 23 of the fore part pocket I9 and secured thereto in any desired 1 manner is a flap 25 of any suitable material such as leather or fabric, constituting a sock lining which is so shaped as to snugly t the contour of the shoe and inner sole I5, this nap being adapted to be raised to permit the placement of elevator insert 20 and molded inner sole 2| within the fore'pocket part I 9.

The elevator insert 2U is preferably made of cork or any other resilient material having a contour corresponding to that of the inner sole I5 and of a tapering thickness from the heel portionthereof to the front or toe portion abuty tingthe closed end 24 of the pocket I9. That portion of the elevator insert 29 constituting the heel ysupporting portion ls of uniform thickness andcomprises the thickest part of the insert.

The shape and size of the elevator insert is such as to snugly fit both within the fore pocket part I9 and the side Wall surfaces of the shoe in the manner clearly shown.

Superposed over the elevator insert 20 is a molded inner sole 2l preferably formed of leather having the same contour as the elevator insert 20, the molded inner sole 2l being preferably made comparatively thin and of substantially uniform thickness, and functioning to reinforce and protect thefcork elevator insert 2l).

In use, by ,first raising the flap or sock lining 25, both the cork elevator insert 20 and molded inner sole 2| are inserted into the fore pockety part I9 which thereby acts toretain the same in fixed relation to the shoe l0, the flap 25 being then lowered so as to rest on top of the molded inner sole 2l.

cause any distortion, shriveling or wrinkling, or any movement of the elevator parts to affect the satisfactory use thereof.

' The advantages of the built up fore pocket part are as follows: It `holds the elevator insert 20 and molded inner sole 2| in position as part of the shoe and at the same time permits ready removal thereof; avoids tightening up on the shoe size caused by the shriveling and curling due to the perspiration of the wearers foot in that this curling up tends to reduce the room in the fore part of the shoe; allows the applicability of a metatarsal pad or other similar device to be concealed beneath this built up fore pocket part; and permits the cork elevator insert and molded inner sole to be removed for the necessity of repairing the shoe without the chance of destroying It will be seen that neither preslsure of the foot nor the effect of perspiration can or damaging the cork elevator insert and molded inner sole.

It is to be understood that no parallel or comparison exists or is to be drawn between this invention and the so-called extension shoe" Worn by cripples. The elevator device embodying this invention is to be worn bilaterally by people with normal feet, while the extension shoe is worn unilaterally by cripples who wear a regular shoe on the normal foot as a mate to the extension shoe.

Having thus described my invention, I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a shoe, elevator means for increasing the apparent height of a person comprising a removable resilient elevator insert shaped to snugly fit within said shoe and covering the entire foot supporting surface thereof, a fore pocket part including a permanent fixed part of the shoe arranged over the sole portion of said supporting surface and defining therewith the pocket for receiving the corresponding part of the elevator insert, said fore pocket being formed of soft material having inturned edges secured to the upper and inner sole of said shoe and extending from side to side of said shoe and from the front of said shoe to a line transversely of the shank portion thereof thus -providing a pocket with a free edge portion, a nap having an edge thereof secured in overlapping relation to the free edge portion of said foreipocket part, said elevator insert being formed of cork of maximum thickness along the heel portion thereof and gradually tapering thickness along the arch, sole and toe portions thereof.

JOSEPH BURGER. 

